Elderly Athens man threatens to kill wife over alleged affair

A 72-year-old Athens man who accused his wife of having an extramarital affair threatened to kill her Wednesday afternoon during a dispute at their home, Athens-Clarke police said.

Marvin Merrit allegedly knocked his wife to the ground and stood over her with a large grilling fork, making stabbing motions while threatening to kill her, police said.

After the 66-year-old woman knocked the fork from his hand, he told her he was getting a gun from his truck to shoot her, according to police.

Merrit was charged under the Family Violence Act with aggravated assault, battery and obstruction of a 911 call.

The incident began about 2:20 p.m., when Merrit returned home from work and didn't find his wife home, police said. He told police he suspected his wife of having an affair with a man who lived down the street from their home on Berry Drive.

The woman explained that she had been gone most of the day because of a doctor's appointment. She told police that Merrit, who had been drinking, began arguing with her as she cooked dinner, police said.

While arguing, the woman told officers, Merrit grabbed her shoulders and she pushed him away. When she picked up a phone to call 911, he grabbed it from her, according to police.

The woman left the home to use a cellphone in her car, at which time Merrit allegedly chased her and pushed her onto the driveway, where he stood over her with the grilling fork and allegedly made the death threats, police said.

After the woman knocked the fork from her husband's hand, Merrit allegedly told her he was going to get a gun from his truck in the carport and kill her, police said. That's when the woman called 911.

When officers arrived, they found the woman holding the grilling fork and noticed she had scrapes on her knees and a hand.

Merrit denied pushing his wife or making any threats and told officers he didn't even own a gun, police said. The officers searched the man's truck and found no weapons.

He admitted to having argued about an alleged affair, and told officers he grabbed the phone from his wife because he thought she was trying to call her boyfriend, according to police.